Loot Boxes Declared Gambling By Belgian Gaming Commission

Welp. As the fires of controversy raged on regarding loot boxes, the Gaming Commission of Belgium announced that it would be launching an investigation into whether they could constitute a form of gambling.

Specifically citing Overwatch and Battlefront II as examples, the investigation was to determine if acquiring improvements from loot boxes constitute a game of chance. According to the Commission's director Peter Naessens, if this is so "[it should not be] possible without a permit from the Gaming Commission."

Today, VTM News reported that the ruling is in, and the answer is yes. According to a Google translation of the report, the Gaming Commission declared that "The mixing of money and addiction is gambling." Belgium's Minister of Justice Koen Geens also added, "Mixing gambling and gaming, especially at a young age, is dangerous for the mental health of the child."

Geens, according to the report, says that he now wants to prevent such functions from being available in games, but also notes that the process will take time, "because we have to go to Europe. We will certainly try to ban it."